Some time ago I had the honour to meet a statesman who had been in charge of a great portion of the Empire. He was an old man, trained in the old school, and, talking about this very subject, he said something like this: “All I took away from school and college was the fact that there were once peoples who didn’t talk our tongue and who were very strong on sacrifice and ritual, particularly at meals, whose gods were different from ours and who had strict views on the disposal of the dead. Well, you know, all that is worth knowing if you ever have to govern India.”
I have never had to govern India, but I quite agree with him.
A certain knowledge of the classics is worth having, because it makes you realise that all the world is not like ourselves in all respects, and yet in matters that really touch the inside life of a man, neither the standards nor the game have changed.
From an address entitled ‘The Uses of Reading’, given to the late Mr Pearson’s House at Wellington College, May 1912, as reproduced in ‘A Book of Words: Selections from Speeches and Addresses Delivered Between 1906 and 1927’ (1928).
Précis
Kipling illustrated his point by recalling a conversation with (he implied) a retired Viceroy of India, who said that a grounding in the classics had taught him to respect Indian civilisation. Classical studies, said Kipling, remind us of the values that people of all times and civilisations share, despite their superficial differences. (52 / 60 words)
Kipling illustrated his point by recalling a conversation with (he implied) a retired Viceroy of India, who said that a grounding in the classics had taught him to respect Indian civilisation. Classical studies, said Kipling, remind us of the values that people of all times and civilisations share, despite their superficial differences.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, if, just, or, otherwise, until, whether.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Game. Important. Term.
2 Conduct. Out. Real.
3 Govern. Meet. Old.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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